AZED CROSSWORD 1255

CATAFALCO

1.  N. C. Dexter: Coach covering the last fatal trip (anag. less h, & lit.).

2.  C. R. Gumbrell: What you might see at head of cortège, a focal structure (anag. incl. c, & lit.).

3.  C. J. Morse: Vehicle of death – might Tomahawk come under that genus in USA? (i.e. cat-a-Falco; ref. US missile).

VHC

E. A. Beaulah: Charon’s first seen beside a river taking care of transport for the dead (C at a Fal c/o).

R. E. Boot: Stirring fatal occasion, less so in rickety hearse (comp. anag.).

E. J. Burge: Developed a flat during drive in Highlands county. Suitable stage for a stiff ’un? (anag. in ca’ Co.).

Dr I. S. Fletcher: See one at front of line of cars not half creeping (c a + anag. incl. l ca(rs), & lit.).

S. Goldie: Crude afloat about Arctic’s edges — bears dead (anag. incl. c. A, c).

G. I. L. Grafton: Bier could alter a lot, with football club – Aachen – losing second half (anag. incl. FC Aac(hen); Bier (Ger.) = beer).

Mrs E. Greenaway: Jaguar, perhaps, a flyer with long wings – car for the ultimate ride! (cat a Falco).

A. Hodgson: In which cases, sadly fatal, precede company (Ca + anag. + co., & lit.).

R. J. Hooper: A flat’s strewn with half-consumed Coca-Cola, the remains of late parties I hold (anag. less Cola).

Mrs J. Mackie: Work at coalface stopping short: this can move VIP on board who’s stiff (anag. less e).

D. F. Manley: Departure platform? Here man meeting a female gets coal dislodged (cat a f + anag.; ref ‘Brief Encounter’).

G. L. McStravick: The keener will follow this act of alacrity without half jumping (anag. incl. alac(rity); keener = mourner).

Dr E. J. Miller: Means of shifting body fat: calorie-reduced Coca-Cola. Pull ring, shake vigorously (anag. less C O).

C. G. Millin: Casket that could become a cold fact, but one would have to be dead (anag. with a for d).

T. J. Moorey: See the Italian head of Family in one, after a ‘setback’ lying in state! (c la F at a (rev.) in CO, & lit.; ref. Mafia).

G. M. Neighbour: Country’s leader, following a fatal bombing, here lies in state (anag. + C, all in CO, & lit.).

R. J. Palmer: Abuse of coca fatal? Then this could provide the ultimate trip (anag.).

D. Price Jones: A genus of bird following cheetah? This makes one dead easy to see (cat + a Falco).

D. H. Tompsett: Portakabin for the likes of Jock: reverse of luxury with crude cloaca outside (fat (rev.) in anag.; like³).

R. J. Whale: Entering grave one’s first of all ferried aboard like conveyance (first letters in Cato, & lit.).

HC

G. Alderman, D. Appleton, R. L. Baker, M. Barley, P. M. Barton, M. J. Bath, J. R. Beresford, C. Boyd, Mrs A. Boyes, Rev Canon C. M. Broun, B. Burton, C. J. & M. P. Butler, Mrs M. J. Cansfield, C. A. Clarke, Ms S. C. Cockburn, E. Cross, R. V. Dearden, D. Durrance, C. M. Edmunds, P. D. Gaffey, Mrs C. George, R. S. Haddock, P. F. Henderson, R. Hesketh, Mrs S. D. Johnson, M. D. Laws, J. D. Lockett, C. J. Lowe, R. K. Lumsdon, W. F. Main, P. W. Marlow, J. R. C. Michie, I. Morgan, C. J. Napier, D. O’Connor, F. R. Palmer, J. Pearce, D. R. Robinson, D. P. Shenkin, R. N. Taylor, K. Thomas, Mrs J. E. Townsend, J. R. Tozer, D. Williamson.
 

ANNUAL HONOURS LIST (13 COMPETITIONS) 1. C.J. Morse (4 prizes, 6 VHCs); 2. N. C. Dexter (3, 7); 3. D. F. Manley (1, 10); 4. C. R. Gumbrell (1, 8); 5. M. Barley (1, 7); 6 (equal). B. Burton (2, 4), R. J. Palmer (1, 6), J. R. Tozer (1, 6); 9 (equal). E. A. Beaulah (1, 5), C. A. Clarke (1, 5), Dr I. S. Fletcher (1, 5), R. R. Green field (0, 7); 13 (equal). S. Goldie (1, 4), P. F. Henderson (0, 6), R. Hesketh (0, 6), E. M. Holroyd (0, 6), T. J. Moorey (0, 6), C. G. Millin (1, 4); 19 (equal). J. R. Beresford (0, 5), H. J. Bradbury (1, 3), G.I. L. Grafton (1, 3), A. J. Wardrop (1, 3); 23 (equal). C.J. Brougham (1, 2), C.J. & M. P. Butler (1, 2), D. B. Cross (0, 4), C. Loving (2, 0), Mrs J. Mackie (0, 4), H. W. Massingham (0, 4), D. R. Robinson (1, 2), R.J. Whale (0, 4).
 
CONSOLATION PRIZES R. R. Greenfield, P. F. Henderson, R. Hesketh, E. M. Ho!royd, T. J. Moorey, J. R. Beresford, D. B. Cross, Mrs J. Mackie, H. W, Massingham, R.J. Whale.
 

 
Comments
 
330 entries, virtually no mistakes. A relatively straightforward plain, by all accounts, though a few were puzzled by my clue to LYCEE, based on the homophony of ‘lycée’ and ‘lease A’. Many commented favourably on the clue to CHEDDAR which was gratifying as I was rather pleased with it myself. Although ‘mouse-trap’ is an uncomplimentary label for (at its best) one of the great British cheeses – and I firmly support British cheese as the best in the world – Chambers does explicitly acknowledge that it is the preferred lure for murine vermin in its subsidiary definition for mouse-trap. (Indeed it is hard to imagine anyone putting out a chunk of Reblochon, say, or Dolcelatte to tempt the little blighters!)
 
CATAFALCO was tricky, I can see that. Chambers changed its definition for the word between the previous edition and the current one, without substantially altering the concept, so I accepted any definition that indicated a vehicle for a dead body, mobile or stationary. Many clues submitted used the word ‘fatal’, for obvious reasons, and although this to me conveys the sense of ‘causing death’, it can clearly also mean ‘connected with death’, so Mr Dexter’s brilliant ‘& lit.’ passes muster triumphantly. The most popular ploy by far was the anagram of fatal coca, and for this reason only the most cleverly worded clues using this idea made it to the lists. Here’s one that didn’t, for several reasons: ‘A fatal accident in chemical company conveyed to funeral’ (anag. in C co.).Three things are wrong here, 1. ‘A fatal accident’ cannot indicate an anagram of a fatal. 2. ‘Chemical’ for C (abbreviation of carbon, I assume) is altogether too vague and unhelpful to the solver. 3. ‘Conveyed to the funeral’ won’t do as a definition for a noun meaning something that conveys a dead person etc. It can only define another past participle or a verb in the past tense.
 
Congratulations to all those whose names feature in this year’s honours list, especially to Sir Jeremy Morse who has had a brilliant run of late, though pressed all the way by Mr Dexter. Although it is some years since CJM last topped the list he is always in the top handful and remains overall the most successful and redoubtable of competitors. My thanks also, as always, to Mr Ron Dearden for keeping the scores so assiduously despite my regrettable lapses during the year. It is interesting that this year each of the top five places is occupied by a single individual. I can’t remember that happening befo